Agreement in number between the subject and the predicate in Modem English

Agreement is one of the principal means (together with word order) to show the relation between the subject and the predicate.

Agreement in English may be formal and notional. In the majority of cases agreement is formal: the subject and the predicate agree in form - in number and sometimes in person.

 

The predicate agrees with the first component of the subject expressed by a phrase:

1. When the sentence begins with the formal subject there

E.g. There is a table and several chairs in the room.

There are several chairs and a table in the room.

2. In questions beginning with where

E.g. Where is my hat and my gloves?

Where are my gloves and my hat?

3. When the components are joined by with or as well as

E.g. A woman with children was there.

The teacher as well as the students was there.

The predicate agrees with the last component of the subject expressed by a word group if the components, are joined by either... or, neither... nor, not only... but also. E. g. Either you or I am to do it.

 

In some cases however the agreement is notional and varies with the same word in accordance with the notion it expresses (one object - more than one object)

E.g. Bread and butter are important foodstuffs.

The bread and butter is on the plate.

The red and the white blanket are very good.

The red and white blankets are very good.

The red and white blanket is very good.

 

Who is he?

Who are they?

 

A number (a variety) of books for home reading were suggested to them.

The number (the variety) of books suggested to them was great.

 

The family is small (the collective)

The family are small and blond (members of the family)

 

"The Caramazov Brothers" was written by Dostoyevsky (the title of the play)

 

Five pounds is too much for it.

Two miles is a long way.

Tow and two is four.

 

16.Agreement (in number) between the subject and the predicate in Modern English.

The category of number in E is represented by the oppositions of 2 forms: singular and plural.

The cat. of N shows whether a Noun has the Gr Mg of oneness or more than oneness.

The Subject (S) is the principal part of a 2-member sentence which is grammatically independent of the other parts of the sentence and on which the 2d principal part (the predicate) is grammatically dependent.

The Predicate (P) is the second principal part of the sentence which expresses an action, state, or quality of the person or thing denoted by the subject. As a rule the P contains a finite V which may express tense, mood, voice, aspect and sometimes person and number.

In E the P agrees with the S in person and number. Agreement implies that the use of one form necessitates the use of the other, for example: a Sing S requires a P in the Sing, a plural S- a P in the Pl.

But there is often a conflict between (b\n) form and Mg- in these cases the P does not agree with the S.

~ The Brown family were at breakfast, father, mother and seven children. ~

Agreement in E may be FORMAL or NOTIONAL. In the majority of cases agreement is formal: the S and the P agree in form-in number and sometimes in person. In some cases- notional: varies with the same word in accordance with the notion it expresses (one object- more than one object)

The following rules of agreement of the P with the S shud be observed:

The P is used in the Pl when there are 2 or more homogeneous Ss connected by the conjunction AND or asyndetically:

~ Her father and mother…were obviously haunted and harassed. ~

If 2 or more homog. Ss are expressed by infin-s the P is in the Sing:

~ To labour in peace, and devote her labour and her life to her poor son, was all the widow sought. ~

When the P-verb precedes a number of Ss it is often in the Sing., especially if the sent. Begins with HERE or THERE:

~ And here was a man, was experience and culture. ~

If the Ss are of different number the P agrees with the S that stands FIRST:

~ There was much traffic at night and many mules on the roads… ~

When 2 homog. Ss in the Sing are connected by the conj-s not only…but (also), neither…nor, either…or, or, nor, the P is usually in the Sing.

~ There was neither heroic swift defeat nor heroic swift victory ~

If the Ss are of different person or number, the P agrees with the one NEXT to it:

~ Neither your sister nor you are to blame. ~

When 2 Ss in the Sing are connected by the conjunction as well the P is in the Sing.

~ Activity as well as cell structure is an essential condition of life ~

If the Ss are of different person or number, the P agrees with the S that stands first:

~ The Volga as well as its affluents is very picturesque. ~

If a S expressed by a noun is modified by 2 or more attributes connected by AND, the P is in the Sing when one person, thing or idea is meant.

~ The complete and beautiful quiet was almost the quiet from beyond the grave. ~

If 2 or more persons, things or ideas are meant the P is in the Pl:

~ Classical and light music have both their admirers. ~

6)If the S is expressed by a defining, indefinite, or negative pronoun (each, either, everybody, everyone ,everything, somebody, someone, something, nobody, no one, nothing, neither etc) the P is in the Sing.

~ Everybody was glad to see him back. ~

~ There was nothing to attract attention or excite alarm in this. ~

7)If the S is expressed by an interrogative pronoun (who, what) the P is usually in the Sing.

~ Who is to apply to her for permission? - I asked. ~

If the question refers to more than one person the P may be used in the Pl.

~ Who were to be the subjects of their piracies was a matter that did not occur to him. ~

8) If the S is expressed by a relative pronoun ( who, which, that) the P agrees with its antecedent.

~ She looked at his handsome face, which was turned to hers…~

9) If the S is expressed by the emphatic it the P is in the Sing no matter what follows.

~ Foreigners say that it is only English girls who can thus be trusted to travel alone ~

10) If the S is expressed by a noun in the Plur which is the title of a book, or the name of a newspaper or magazine, the P is usually in the Sing.

~ ``The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club`` was written when Dickens was 24. ~

11)If the S is expressed by a noun in the Pl denoting time, measure, or distance, the P is in the Sing when the noun represents the amount or mass as a whole.

~ Twenty-one years is a longish time, lad, but memory is longer… ~

If the S is expressed by a collective noun denoting a group or collection of similar individuals taken as a whole (mankind, humanity…) the P-verb is in the Sing.

~ He consoled himself with the idea that perhaps humanity was better than he thought. ~

If the S is expressed by a noun of multitude, i.e. a collective noun denoting the individuals of the group taken separately (people- люди, infantry, gentry, police, cattle, jury…) the P-verb is as a rule in the Pl.

~ The weather was warm and the people were sitting at their doors. ~

With collective nouns (family, crew, board, government, team, band…) as S the P is either in the Sing or in the Pl; this depends on what is uppermost in the mind, the idea of oneness or plurality.

~ The band was beginning to play…

~ the band had arrived and were standing in the hall ~

 

The P agrees in number with the S expressed by a syntactic word-group (w-g- is a combination of Ws forming one part of the sentence) ), consisting of two nouns connected by the conjunction and.

 

Here we find agreement according to the Mg expressed in the w-group.

(a) If the w-gr. Consists of 2 Ns denoting different persons, things, or notions, the P-verb is in the Pl.

~ Andreis and I were alone ~

NB! Syntactic w-groups forming one part of the sentence shud not be confused with homog. Parts of the sentence. A sent. With 2 homog. Ss can be divided into 2 sentences with each S taken separately.

But if we have a sentence with the S expressed by a synt. w-gr. Its elements cannot be used separately without destroying the Mg of the sentence; only the whole w-gr.

The P-verb is in the Sing when the S is expressed by several Ns which represent one person or thing, or 2 persons or things forming a close unit often corresponding to one notion.

~ The wife and mother WAS asked with deference before the plan was made. ~

2) If the S is expressed by a w-gr. Consisting of 2 Ns connected by the preposition WITH, or the expression TOGETHER WITH, the P-verb is in the Sing. (These w-grs. are rarely used in E.)

~ A woman with a child on the 3d floor is screaming… ~

3) If the S is expressed by a synt. w-gr. The 1st element of which denotes an indef. Number or amount, such as a number of, a variety of, the majority of, a lot of, plenty of, a mass of… the P may be in the Sing or in the Pl.

~ There is a lot of truth in that ~

~ There are a lot of things for you to believe ~

NB! The Ns number & variety may retain their concrete Mg (количество, разнообразие) and serve as S of the sentence. In this case they are used with the definite article; the of-phrase that follows them is a separate part of the sent- an attribute to the S. The P is naturally in the Sing as it agrees with the S the number, the variety.

~ They tell me that the number of teachers in town has not increased in years ~

4) If the S is expressed by a group of Ws denoting arithmetic calculations ( addition, subraction, division) the P is usually Sing; multiplication presents an exception as the V may be in the Sing or in the Pl.

~ Two and two is four ~

~ Twice two is (are) four ~